Crutch tip



Patented Jan. 20, 1925.

UNITED STATES JAMES B. MORFITT,

OF SHELDON, IOWA.

CBUTCH TIP.

Application filed June 27,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that JAMES B. Monrrtr'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sheldon, in the county of OBrien and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Crutch Tips, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in crutch tips.

It is a well known fact that the ordinary rubber crutch tip is liable to slip on icy and wet surfaces, although it is eflicient under other conditions. It has been proposed to provide spur attachments for crutches which will insure against slipping of the crutch on wet or icy surfaces, but such attachments are ordinarily difficult to apply and remove, and if not removed, are liable to mar the floor surface or tear or otherwise injure the floor covering when the user of the crutch passes indoors. The present invention therefore has as its primary object to provide a crutch tip which may be immediately conveniently adapted for use under different conditions as occasion requires, the tip embodying a resilient and relatively soft pad which is best adapted for indoor use and for outdoor use when the street surfaces are free from moisture or ice, and a spur member which may be moved into and out of active position and which, when in active position will insure against slipping of the crutch upon wet or icy surfaces.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the attachment that in changing from one anti-slipping means to the other, it will be unnecessary to remove any parts thereby avoiding the annoyance of having tocarry such removed parts about in ones pockets.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the spur member of the attachment that when adjusted to the desired position, it may be firmly secured in a manner to insure against displacement.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a view partly in elevation and partly in vertical section illustrating a crutch attachment embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a horizontal view taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 look ing in the direction indicated by the arrows;

Figure 3 is a similar view taken on the line 33 of Figure 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

Figure l 1s a view partly in elevation and 1923. Serial No. 648,133.

partly in section illustrating the spur member of the attachment.

In Figure 1 of the drawings there is illustrated the lower end of the staff of a crutch indicated by the numeral 1 and the said end of the staff is fitted into a socket 2 formed in the upper portion of the tip attachment which is indicated in general by the numeral 3. The attachment comprises a body which is preferably of the general form shown in the drawings and of approximately the same diameter as the lower portion of the crutch staff and is provided, in addition to the socket 2, with a socket 4 which is located in its lower end, the portion of the tip between the bottom of the socket 2 and the upper end of the socket & being solid, as indicated by the numeral 5. One or more screws or other fastening devices 6 are secured through the wall of the socket 2 and into or against the lower end of the crutch staff and secure the attachment to the said staff.

T o adapt the crutch for use upon normal surfaces, a pad 7 is provided and is preferably of frusto-conioal form as shown in Figure 1, the pad being reduced at its upper end as indicated by the numeral 8 so as to fit in the socket 4 as shown in the said figure and Figure 2, screws or other fastening elements 9 being secured through the wall of the socket 4 and into or against the said reduced upper end of the pad. In reducing the upper end of the pad, a circumferential shoulder 10 is provided which abuts against the lower edge of the wall of the said socket t as shown in Figure 1 thus affording a firm foundation for the pad. The pad may be made of rubber 01' any other material or combination of materials found suitable for the purpose and it preferably is provided with a flat under face indicated by the numeral 11 which is to contact the surface over which the user of the crutch is moving.

The solid portion 5 of the attachment is provided with a diametric bore which is indicated by the numeral 12, and rotatably adjustably fitted in this bore is the shank 13 of the spur member of the attachment, which member is indicated in general by the numeral 14. The spur comprises a body 15 from the upper end of which the shank 13 extends at right angles. The body 15 at its juncture with the shank 13 is provided with an enlargement 16 having a substantially flat face 17 which is provided with radial corrugations or ribs 18. These corrugations or ribs are designed to interlock with similarcorrugations or ribs, 19 formed upon the face of a flattened portion 20 of the body of the tip 3. The lower end of the body 15 is tapered orotherwise brought to a point indicated by the numeral 21. As previously stated the shank 13" is rotatably adjustable in'the: bore 12. and it will be evident by reference to Figure l ot the drawings that when the spur member is adjusted to assumethe position shown in fulllines; the-sharp end 21 thereof will project a greater or. less distance below the; flatv underf-ace 11 of the pad. 7 and when the sa-idmember is adjusted to the position shown in doted lines, the pointed end will: be presented in an upward direction. The shank 13 projects through one end 0t the bore 12 and is-th-readed as: indicated by the numeral; 22, and a thumb nut. 23- is, threaded: onto thisv end otthe shank and adapted to: bear againsttheb'odyof theattachment at a ipoiniti opposite the flattened portion 20;

I-t'willnow be evident that by loosening the thumb nut, the shank 13' may be shifted laterally within the bore '12 a distance sufiicient todisengage the ribs 18- from theribs 19 whereupon the body 15 of the spurmember may be swung to either position of adjustment.-desi-red.v Then bytightening the nut 23, the ribs 18and 19 will againbe caused to interlock and the spur'member will be securely held in the position to which it has; been adjusted.

Having thus described the what is claimed as. new is: r

l. A crutch tip comprising a body having; means for attachment to a crutch staff and provided with an intermediate. thickened portion piercedi by a transverse bore, a; spur member comprising a body having-antengaging end and provided at its-oppositeend with a laterally extending shank rotat ably adjustably fitted in the said bore whereby the body of the spur member, may, be: anguIa-rly adjusted to assume active andinactive positions, and; means eoacti-n-g with the shank to hold the body of the spur member in its positions of adjustment.

2. A crutch tip comprising abody having invention-,1

upper and. lower sockets one of which is adaptedf to receiwe a crutch staff; the. body having a transverse bore located between said sockets and being provided upon its outerside at one end of the bore with a roughened surface, a cushioning member mounted in the lower socket, a spur member comprising. a. spur body having one end pointed and provided at its other end with a laterally extending, shank and with a roughened. surit'ace extending about the shanl r,,.the said shank being rotatably' ad? justably fitted: into-the said bore, the other end of theshank extending beyond the opposite side of the body of the crutch tip and being threaded, and a nut fitted, onto; the said end ot the said shank and bearing against the said body for holding the pointedend of the spur in either active or inactive positions. I

3. A crutch. tip comprisinga body having upper and lower sockets, one 04: which is. adapted to receive; a ciutchistaif, cushion,-

ing member mounted in the lower sockety and a spur member having a shank rotat-. ably mounted 1n the body between sa dsockets' and provided with anengagmg end;

movable, to; active position below the lower side'of the said cushioning member. 7

a. A crutch tip comprising a body having means for-attachmentto, a crutch staff and: provided with an intermediate thickened portion pierced by a transverse bore, the exterior wall of the bod-y member at one end of the, bore being roughened, aspur member comprising a shank rotatably mounted in the bore and having one end thereof threaded and its.- other end pros vided with: a depending portion terminatin-g in a spur, there, being a roughened portion at the j unction' of-the shankand depending portion, and a clamping nut engagi-ngthe threaded end of the shank] and bearing against the adjacent portion of the body for causing the roughened portionstoj inter engage and hold the spuri-n either active or inactive posttlells, V In testimony whereof I" my signa ture. V v

JAMES B. MCRFITT, [n 

